Go Goa Gone is our kind of film: Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK

Filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, who made the critically
acclaimed Shor In the City, talk about their film Go Goa Gone which is
touted as Bollywood's first zombie comedy.

advertisement

Suhani Singh

May 10, 2013

UPDATED: May 10, 2013 22:13 IST

Filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK

Filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, who made the critically acclaimed Shor In the City, talk about their film Go Goa Gone which is touted as Bollywood's first zombie comedy.

Goa has become a favourite destination for Bollywood with Golmaal, Chashme Baddoor, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl and a host of other films being set there. What's the Goa we are seeing here?

Raj Nidimoru: The movie is set in an island off of Goa. We are in a little more exotic territory. The Goa you see is something what young kids would like to do in Goa. It is very energetic, not very touristy, more about how you hang out in Goa. It's a little more adventurous, a party town. We are not really going into the drugs or rave scene in Goa.

Photo by Mandar Deodhar.

How did the idea come about?

Raj: It was after Shor and the City. We usually have a couple of ideas in our head. We were thinking of a slacker generation film first. Like a Gen Zzzzz. We were not getting the edge to it, how you take it next level. At the same time, we had a zombie idea for a long time. But again it wasn't exciting us.

Krishna: We wanted to do something that is not already been done. Once we married both the ideas, we got a zombie comedy.

Photo by Mandar Deodhar.

How inspired were you by the zombie comedies like Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, in which humour and gore go together?

Raj: If we're inspiring or copying or ripping a film, you'd go for a more mainstream film, something that'd get you a bigger reach. We weren't looking to do that. We haven't done that so far. Cinema, for me, is global. There's no importing or exporting. We made our first film in US. We consider ourselves filmmakers where we can make film here or go to America or Hyderabad.

Krishna: This is more about showing zombies in an Indian context. The characters react in the same way that we would or audiences were expected.

Raj: It's like how you'd react to a most foreign object out there.

Krishna: It's like Danny Boyle putting a song-and-dance in an English film. We're putting zombies in an Indian language film. It is our take on it.

Raj: Bring zombies on Indian soil and see how people would react.

Krishna: At the core of it, it's also like a statement on this generation who are completely unsuited to survive on their own outside. You are connected by internet, Facebook, ipad , TV or cellphone. But if you are thrown out on your own and think for yourselves, how well can you survive? You leave the comfort of your house, are now in a jungle, surrounded by dangerous creatures and have to survive.

Photo by Mandar Deodhar.

You started out as independent filmmakers who have moved on to work with established studios. How has the transition been? Do you find yourself compromising?

Krishna: In a way, we are outsiders. We don't have an in-built alliance that we can fall on also. We are making alliances as we make movies.

Raj: We created our own opportunities. We are not connected to the film industry. We were sitting somewhere in the US working on a computer. All we had was a thought or a story that we could write. We put our money and made it on our own.

We are doing a movie that we wanted to make irrespective of what the formula is, box office is or what the producer wants. This is not a producer-commissioned film. When you make such a radically out-there film, you are excited about it.

Krishna: Illuminati bought the idea because it sounded so outlandish and ridiculous.

Raj: It's a great film for us to do after Shor in the City. Go Goa Gone is opposite to the gritty, grounded and edgy film that Shor in the City was. Now you are outlandish and tongue in cheek.

Picture by Mandar Deodhar

You've said you couldn't have imagined making the films you do two decades ago. Is it a good time for filmmakers?

Raj: When we were making Flavors, we didn't know a revolution was on or new age cinema was on. We were just making films because we felt like it. We were so bored of our computer jobs. It was like, 'Hey, this gives us more creative satisfaction.' 99 the movement was starting. Only at the time of Shor, we looked back and say, 'Hey, look at all these filmmakers, they all are making this new kind of cinema.' We didn't know we were already a part of it. Every 20 years, I think, thoughts change. It's also that the whole technology that's opened up.

Krishna: The exposure. Like never before people in India are exposed to everything that's available in the world cinema, technology, internet. But now people are watching everything and anything out there. Now everything is in house, from the consumer products we use to movies.

Raj: A couple of decades ago when somebody lifted a film, which was quite rampant, you wouldn't know about it. Now, everybody knows everything. What's happening is that it has opened up a platform. For us, one biggest thing that got us where we are is digital revolution. That there is a digital camera out there for software consultants like us to flip open a camera and make a cool short film over the weekend. It gave us the impetus.

Krishna: Without actually being in the film industry or working on other people's films before, we were able to make our own film. The formula now is to not be formulaic. Go out with something with new. Now the thought process has changed, not playing it safe is the new safe.

Photo by Mandar Deodhar.

You've known each other for over two decades. Do you divide the work between each other? How do you compliment each other?

Raj: Krishna is more technical. He is a little more focused on edit. When we are shooting, he is thinking of how this scene would not flow to the other. He is a bit more analytical. Because of that I get the freedom to throw the most rubbish ideas at him, say whatever I want.

Krishna: We entered into the scene together, we have been seasoned with each others way of thinking and end up on the same wavelength.

Photo by Mandar Deodhar.

What kind of films did you grow up watching in Andhra Pradesh? Any filmmakers that inspired you?Raj: Growing up we used to love Ramu's [Ram Gopal Varma] films. The influences were a mishmash of stuff thrown at us. There was Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. A bit of English such as Pretty Woman, Indecent Proposal and Rambo. Initially, it was K Balachandran and Mani Ratnam.

Krishna: But the true influence came when we went to United States where we were exposed to so much cinema.

Raj: Steven Soderbergh inspired us a lot. The variety in his films good or bad was a lot. We saw Doug Liman come up in front of our eyes.

Krishna: Sundance Festival films were coming out nationwide. Initially, when we started out, I didn't think we would become completely mainstream filmmakers anyway. We would have been happy making certain kind of films on the side. Only thing is that audiences have accepted those films. Ten years ago, if we would have made a zombie film, it'd have been a smaller film.

Picture by Mandar Deodhar

Go Goa Gone looks to be your most accessible film to-date as it sees you work with Saif Ali Khan.

Raj: Saif brings star value to a film. Saif is the face of the film, he is the driver taking our content and bringing it to people out there.

Krishna: It's our kind of film and humour that's going to reach millions of people because Saif is the face for it.

Raj: The reach is higher. What we are grateful for is that we are making exactly the same film that we'd like to make.

Favourite zombie film?

Raj: Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland

Krishna:28 Days Later. Brilliant zombie film. That's where it kind of started out.

Raj: What made an impact on me is Evil Dead. We have an ode to all these films in our film. It's just a quick blink-and-miss. But you'll see it.